Jar-lifter.



J. E. ALDRIDGE.

m umn.

APPLICATION FILED IAN- 5| I913. 1 ,274,229. 7 Patented July 30,1918.

76. 1. r/a it INVENTOH w mm ATTORNEY JOHN nnwm ALDRIPGE, or HUNTINGTON, wns'r vmcrinrn.

JAR-LIE TEB.

Application filed. January 1 5, 1918. Serial No. 211,973

To all whom may concern: p

Be it known that 1, JOHN .E. ALDRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Huntington, in the county of Cabell and State of West, Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Jar- Lifters, of which the following is a specification. 7 I

This invention relates to jar lifters, and more particularly to an instrument .for lifting fruit or preserving jars out of the water in which they are sterilized during the canning or preserving process,

One of the main objects of the invention;

is to provide a device of the character stated of simple construction and operation which may be produced at relatively small cost. A further object is to provide a device which may be quickly and easily secured about the threaded neck of a jar of the Mason type now commonly used so as to grip the jar and permit it to be lifted or tilted as desired. A further object is to provide a device having two gripping jaws adapted to fit about the neck of a jar, these jaws being oppositely disposed and normally held apart. A further object is to provide simple and eflicient means for forcing the gripping jaws toward each other and for securing them against relative movement, so as to grip the neck of a jar or container. Further objects will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a lifter constructed in accordance with m invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken su' stantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. s

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

The head or handle of the'lifter is constructed of wood or other suitable material which does not readily conduct heat. Within this head are secured the upper endsof the gripping members. These members are each formed by bending from a continuous piece of resilient wire or other suitable material. Each gripping member is provided with the parallel shanks 2 and 3 the upper ends of which are secured'in head 1. Shank 2 is turned outwardly to produce an integral horizontal arm 4 then downwardly to provide a connecting bar 5, the material being then bent upwardly and inwardly to provide a short connecting bar 6, after which the material is bent outwardly to provide a sub- Specification of LettersTaten't;

' these frames being hold the grlpping jaws stantially semi-circular gripping 7 the other end of this jaw being connected to shank 3 by a short rod '6 rod5, and bar 4 j "this manner, IJQIOVIClQ, in efl'ect,;two sub- By shaping the gripping members in stantially rectangular frames which are movable toward and provided with horizontally disposed oppositelyv directed arcuate gripping jaws 7 which areof substantially semi-circular shape. The shanks2 and 3 of the gripping members are setin the head 1 so. as to divergedownwardly beyond the head,- the object of this being to normally 7 away from each other thus providing an opening of sufiicient size to. readily receive the usual threaded.

neck of a fruit jar or similar container.

In using this device, this gripping head which is composed of the jaws 7 and the connecting bars, is placed about the neck of the container and ar so as to bring the jaws 7 into engagement with the usual annular shoulder ad acent the base of the neck; A

looking ring 8 which is slidably mounted on the shanks of the gripping members for this purpose, is then forced downwardly of the shanks so as to force them toward each other, thus bringing the gripping jaws 7 into engagement with the neck of the jar beneath the lowermost thread. When the jar is thus gripped, it may be readily lifted or tilted. The wire or other material from which the gripping members are made, should have sufiicient rigidity to permit tilting of the jars when filled with hot water away from each other,

Patented July 30,1918.

during the sterilizing process'preliminary to i canning so as to empty the water from the jar without bending or distortion of these members. After the cover has been placed upon the jar, the food to be canned having been placed in the jar, the jaws 7 each grip under the usual rubber packing ring so as to firmly hold the jar and permit it to be lifted from the sterilizing bath in the usual manner. By means of this device itis possible to handle a jar during the various stages of the canning process without the user being in danger of scalding her hands, as frequently happens when it is attempted to all such Variations, as fall within the scope of the appended claims, in this application in which a preferred form onlyof my'invention is disclosed.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the Character described, two gripping members comprising spaced shanks disposed in downwardly divergent relation, said shanks being resilient, oppositely directed approximately semi-circular gripping a'ws carried by said shanks at the lower ends thereof and movable toward and away from each other, and means for forcing said jaws toward each other and forreleasably securing them in gripping relation.

2. In a device of the character described, a handle,'and t'wo opposed gripping members secured in said handle in downwardly divergent relation, each of said *gripping members being formed from a length of Copies of this patent may be -obtained 'for ofthis framebeing then bent to provide a V substantially semi-circular gripping element, the gripping elements oithe two said gripping members being'opposed and adapt- 'ed to fit about the neck of a jar or similar container.

"In testimony whereof l affix my signature 1n presence of tWo 'WltIlGSSBS.

- JOHN EDWARD ALDRIDGE.

'W'itn'esses G. W. CAMPBELL, 'PAULINA BREEDEN.

five'cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ofla't'ents, Washington, DJGL 

